Musk announced that SpaceX aims to capture the second stage of Starship using a service tower in early 2025.
On October 13, SpaceX made history in spaceflight during the fifth test launch of its Starship transportation system. Approximately seven minutes after liftoff, the first stage of Starship—known as the Super Heavy booster—successfully returned to the launch pad and was captured by the service tower.
2024-10-17 07:29:33https://naked-science.ru/community/999175
Now, according to Elon Musk, SpaceX plans to do the same with the second stage—the Starship spacecraft—at the beginning of next year.
Why is this necessary?
SpaceX intends to conduct a series of Starship launches to low Earth orbit for the deployment of new satellites in the Starlink constellation and to create a fuel depot for refueling other Starships heading into deep space. Therefore, after the Starship returns to Earth, it will need to be landed in a way that prepares it for a new flight. To achieve this, the same service tower can be utilized.